Chinook Salmon Spawning

August is the month for spawning Spring Chinook Salmon at Winthrop National Fish Hatchery, WA.  The hatchery has a very nice spawning facility that includes a viewing window where visitors can see the salmon that have returned to spawned (about 6,000 this year), information about the spawning process and a viewing window where visitors can observe the spawning process.  (NOTE:  Some graphic images below)

 

Salmon in canal waiting to go up the fish ladder

Fish Ladder

Salmon in holding tank

 

Preparations at the spawning building and preparing the egg trays 

 

 

The hatchery manager checking to see if the fish is "ripe" 

 

Harvesting Eggs-each female has as many as 4,000 eggs

 

Milking the males for sperm

 

Samples of various tissues and organs are taken from the fish

 

 Eggs and sperm are taken to the main hatchery building where the eggs are fertilized, rinsed and placed in trays where they will stay for about 6 months